The After Math (Complete Story)
by TouchMyKitties
Summary: When Rose lost the one thing she loved, she struggled to get everything normal with the help of the gang. This is a sequel of One Step Closer


The After Mass

Chapter 1: It's been just about a week now since I left home. I hear from Dally every morning and night. Always at 7 am and 9pm. Our phone convocations last about an hour to 2 hours. Today was different. I didn't hear from him this morning. He knew I was coming home tonight. Although, I would've liked to surprise him. I knew he was staying out of trouble because I saw a newspaper article mention him, Johnny, and Pony. I left the hotel around 8:45pm. I found a payphone just 10 miles from home. I called the Curtis' house and Two-bit answer.  
"Hello?" he said.  
"Hey Two-bit, its Rose. I'm ten miles away. When I get to our side of the town, I'll drop by the house then go home to Dal. Thought I'd tell you guys what's going." I replied, getting excited for tonight. There was a silence before two-bit sighed. Two-bit would normally throw jokes like water balloons at anyone and just about everyone. This wasn't the two-bit that I knew.  
"You may wanna come spend the night over here." He replied in a hushed tone.  
"Whats going on two-bit?"  
"I'll tell you when you get here. Be careful while you're driving."  
"Okay. See you in a bit."  
Right then, we hanged up and I got back into the car. I sat there with nothing on for a minute. What could be going on? I was only gone for a week. Nothing could've happen. Just thinking about it more and more got me worried. I needed to find out. I decided to drive because the thoughts were killing me. I wanted to know but I didn't at the same time. The street lights started to fade in the distance as I drove past them. I finally arrived at the Curtis' house. I got out of the car and walked up to the front door. I just stood there, frozen. I knew I had to stop running from the fears of mine and face reality. I open the door to see the boys. They were all beaten up. I only saw four out of the seven boys. Darry was sitting in the chair with his knuckles cut up. Soda was sitting on the floor facing the window. He got blood on face and a black eye. Steve had the same thing but mixed with mud. He did look tuff. And Two-bit was sitting at the kitchen table with a beer. When the screen door closed behind me, I got all of their attention. "What happen to you guys?" I said worriedly.  
"We got into a rumble ." Darry said.  
"We won too. Chased them out of here." Steve added on.  
"Why were y'all in a rumble?" I asked  
"Johnny killed a soc." Soda replied. Johnny killed a soc? Something so sweet and innocent like him killed a soc. That was something I couldn't believe.  
"How's Johnny doing? Is he okay?" I asked. By the time I asked Soda got up and gesture me to sit on the sofa. I didn't feel like putting up a fight, so I did what soda asked me to do. Soda wasn't smiling, Two-bit wasn't cracking jokes. My heart skipped a beat and fell thru my stomach. Now I know something isn't right.

Chapter 2: I looked at him and he open his mouth. I prayed to god that everything is okay and this is a sick joke they planned.  
"When Johnny killed that soc, him and pony boy ran away to a church on Jay mountain. Dally took them under his wing and made sure they had money, food and shelter till time is good to go out of hiding. Dal came up and took the boys out of lunch. They came back and saw the church burning with children inside. Pony and Johnny ran out of the car and into the building to save the kids' lives. They manage to do that. Pony wasn't hurt what so ever. Dally burned his arm. But Johnny had the worse injury. After the rumble tonight, Dally took pony to see Johnny. Johnny died shortly after they showed up."  
"Dally lost it," Two-bit said quietly "He ran out of the hospital, took the car and left Pony there. He went to the nearest gas station and robbed it. He called us saying the cops are after him and meet him at the park." Two-bit said as his voice faded. This is too much to take in. I'm trying to hold back my tears. In my head I keep repeating to myself "Dally isn't dead. This is a dream." I'm trying to convince myself that's the truth but who am I fooling. "He wanted to die. He lost Johnny and he couldn't take the fact that Johnny died. He wanted to cops to kill him. He waved his heater and he fell to the ground with a smile on his face. " Soda finished Two-bit's statement. At this point, I am crying my eyes out. I don't care who sees me cry anymore. Dally died. It was just a week since I saw him. It was only last night when he called me to tell me he loved me. Why? Why does this have to happen? Johnny is gone and so is Dally. I got up and ran out of the house with tears rolling on my checks. Only Two-bit, Steve and Soda followed me. Steve manages to catch up and tackled me down. I was in someone's arm and crying into their chest. We were there for a half hour till Soda picked me up and carried me back to the house. No words were said. Only my cries filled the night. Soda sat down on the sofa with me on him. I'm still crying and he's trying to calm me down.  
"Rose, spend the night here. I don't want you to be alone." He finally said to me. I looked up at him and nodded. He wiped the tears that were still coming out of my eyes. Soda laid me down on the couch and he went into the kitchen where Darry was. I heard something about having a funeral for both of the boys then I fell asleep.

Chapter 3: When I woke up, I smelt food and saw the TV on. I couldn't tell its on mute or I just can't hear. Steve and Two-bit were discussing something. They were only across the room but I couldn't hear a thing. I just laid on the sofa. Soda came up to me and said something. I stared at him with a puzzled look. He said something again but I finally spoke up. "I can't hear you." Soda grabbed my arm and pulled me outside, shutting the door behind him. "I need to go home. Something isn't right." I finally said to him. I started to walk away and that's where I started to hear stuff again. I heard a car driving past me. I stopped and turned around. As soon as I did that, Soda ran into me and knocked me down. We were both on the ground. He was on top of me blushing a bit. I guess he realized what is going on and he got up but left his hand in front of me, hoping he'd help me up. I took the gesture and got up with his help.  
"What's going on Rose?" He said as pulling me up.  
"I don't know. I woke up and I couldn't hear anything. It wasn't loud where I can't think but I just couldn't hear a single thing." I replied trying to explain it without sounding stupid.  
"If I let you go home, will you be okay?"  
"Yeah. I'm thinking about getting a job and move out. I can't be in a place where Dally stayed since he moved down here."  
"I can get you a job at the DX by next week if you want." Soda said with that puppy dog face he does when he hoped for something.  
"I'll think about it and let you know by tomorrow night. Imma go home for now."  
"Okay. I'll be checking up on you just to make sure you're okay." He replied with a reassuring smile. I just nodded my head and thank him for letting me stay the night on his couch. We both hugged and walked away in different directions. I started to walk down the road, just 20 minutes away from home. A fuzz car drove past me and I couldn't but swear at them. They're the reason why Dally is dead. They should've known his heater isn't loaded-it was just for show. Dally has been hauled into the station many times before, they should know him like the back of their hands. I just continued walking. The 20 minutes went faster than I thought. I saw Buck outside smoking. He knew that something was wrong but he didn't know what the reason is. I smiled and walked in, hoping he thinks I'm okay. I went upstairs and laid in my bed. It smelt like Dally. He must've slept in my bed when I was gone. The smell was strong. Just thinking about it made me teary eye and smelling the sheets was my breaking point. I cried like a baby and couldn't stop. I want him back. Who knew a week could take away two lives. I heard Buck calling me from downstairs. I got up and wiped the tears off my face. I went to the door and took a deep breath before opening. When I was walking down the stairs, I heard voices that were talking to Buck.

Chapter 4: I approached the main room to find two fuzzs standing up while Buck was sitting. I just stood there not knowing what to do and why are they're here. Buck saw me and told me come here. I slowly walked towards them.  
"Ms Moor, please sit down." The tall one said.  
"I already know Dally is dead." I said without hesitating.  
"Do you know the reason?" The short chubby one said.  
"Because of you guys. You killed him. You should've known he wasn't going to shoot. You should've known!" I spatted at them with tears running down my cheeks. Buck came next to me and held me.  
"She didn't mean to say that." Buck said to the fuzz.  
"We understand. It always happen when it comes to stuff like that. We are terribly sorry for your lost."  
"I'm not. I'm glad that kid is dead. He's nothing bu-" the shorter one said with pride. Before he finished his sentence, I yelled at him.  
"You know what. He was something. He was my someone special. Unlike you, he had a heart. You knew him as a Juvenile Delinquent-not as a person!" I shouted as I got into his face.  
"Daniel, go outside for a minute. I can handle this from here. Daniel sighed.  
"Yes Anthony." As soon as Daniel left, Anthony apologized for his partner's action and took out a plastic bag that had a smaller one inside. He handed me the bag and looked into my eyes. "He was a good kid underneath all of that trouble. I know for sure I am sorry for your lost." I nodded and said thank you quietly. Buck walked Anthony outside and they talked for a couple minutes. I stood there frozen, clenching what was left of Dally. I wasn't crying, I wanted to. I guess I must've ran out of tears to shed. I went upstairs and sat on the bed with that plastic bag still in my arms. I opened it and grabbed the smaller bag. Dally's necklace was in it with his knife that two-bit adored. I looked at his necklace. It was a St Peters charm. The front where it said "Pray for Us" looked fine. But on the back, you can see the markings where he lit his matches on when he wanted a cancer stick. I slid it over my head and worn it. I put the bag in my dresser and left the house. It was already noon by the time I walked to the DX. I was hoping to find Sodapop for that job offer but I found Steve instead. He noticed me but didn't say a word. He just walked up and hugged me. I didn't know what to do, Steve never showed affection. "Where's Soda?"  
"its his day off. He should be home. I get off in 5 minutes. If you want to wait around, I'll walk you to his house." Steve said softly.  
"Sure." I said.

Chapter 5: Five minutes pasted and me and Steve was out. We walked to the house in silence. When the house was in sight, Steve stopped walking. He turned to me and just stared at me.  
"Yes, Steve?" I finally said.  
"Dal," Steve started to say, "Dal loved you. The gang would agree with me. When you were gone for the week, he wasn't himself. He was more miserable. He was real excited the day you were coming home. He was gonna take you out dancing and a dinner." Steve's voice drifted off and the sound of me crying took over. "Come here." Steve said opening his arms for a hug. I did what he said. "I-I-I miss h-I-I-m." I stuttered. "I know, I know. We do too." Steve said as rubbing my back. Steve pulled away and lifted my head up. "Remember this, Dal will always be in your heart." I nodded and wiped my tears away. I wanted to pain go away. I know its been one day but I cant deal with this. Steve and I continued walking to the Curtis' house. I open up the door and sat down on the sofa. I saw Steve walk to the kitchen, hit Two-bit in the head and grabbed a beer. I saw a little blonde poking his head out of the bedroom door. I got up and went to the bedroom and hugged Pony. While I was upset about Dally, he was upset about Johnny. We hugged for a couple of minutes. When we broke apart, I told Pony that I am there for him whenever he needs me. Pony went to his desk that was next to the window and just sat there. Right then, I felt a hug from the behind. I turned around to find Soda. He put his arm around my shoulders and walked over to the soda. As we sat down I asked him about that job offer.  
"What about it?" he asked.  
"I would like to take it." I replied as I looked into his eyes.  
"Sure but why?"  
"I need to get out of the house and I am hoping I'll save up enough money to get a house. That will be awhile since I'm still in high school tho."  
"That's fine. You better keep an eye on Pony while you're there." I nodded. "Come on toots, let get out of here." He said while getting up.  
"Where?"  
"You'll see." I followed Soda to the door and before he stepped outside, he yelled he will be back and he's with me. We got into the truck and drove for a while.

Chapter 6: We drove and drove. Finally we stopped at a restaurant. It was called Memories of Japan. Soda must've remembered my favorite food was sushi. We went in and sat at a booth. The place was wonderful. The lights were dimmed, they had lanterns hanging up. The place is relaxing. Me and Soda were laughing uncontrollably.  
"Rose, rose I got a good joke. Wanna hear it?" Soda ask.  
"Give me your best shot." I said smiling.  
"Ok. Here it is. _An engineer crosses a road when a frog calls out to him, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bends over, picks up the frog and puts it in his pocket. The frog speaks up again and says, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week." The engineer takes the frog out of his pocket, smiles at it and returns it to the pocket. The frog then cries out, "If you kiss me and turn me back, I'll do whatever you say!" Again the engineer takes the frog out, smiles at it and puts it back into his pocket. Finally, the frog asks, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess, I'll stay with you for a month and do whatever you say. What more do you want? "The engineer says, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that's cool!" _" Soda said laughing so hard. Just his face makes me laugh so hard. We were practically in tears by this point. Dinner finally came and we had a good time. I haven't felt happy in a long time. Once me and Soda finished eating, we got back in the car and drove again. Surprisingly the sun hasn't set yet. I leaned my head against the window and just stared as the buildings, cars and trees pass by. I'm guessing Soda looked over because he put his hand on my leg and asked if I was okay.  
"Yeah, I'm just a bit tired." I lied thru my teeth.  
"No you're not. I know you forever. What's wrong?" He asked one more time but this time the car came to the stop. He turned to face me. I couldn't lie to Soda. He's that type of guy who will be there for me.  
"I miss Dal. Just about everywhere I go, it reminds me of him. Some days I just wanna hide under a rock, or at least from the world"  
"I know it's hard but you can do it. I know you can. Come on, follow me" he said as he got out of the car. I did what he said. We went into a park that had a lake with it. We went down the hill and walked on the brick sidewalk. When we got by the water, we sat down and just looked.  
"My parents use to me and my brothers here. Once a month, maybe twice if we were lucky." He started to say as staying focus on the water, "Me and Darry would be tossing a football with dad while mom and Pony were reading stuff. We would leave around 3:30, 4:00 and get here around a hour later. We would have a picnic. Then once the sun is ready to set, we would go right here and watch it." I looked over to Soda to see if he was okay. He had a smirk on his face. That smirk became a smile. I was puzzled till he pointed at a brick that had carvings in it. It said "The Curtis Family." "My dad carved it-look Rose!" Soda said pointing to the sunset. The sun painted the sky with wonderful colors such as purple, orange and gold. The sight was amazing. "Have you and Dally ever watched a sunset together?" When Soda asked me that, I took a moment to think about it. Did I ever watch a sunset with him? Or a sunrise?  
"No. He hated the sunset and the sunrise thing."  
"Why?"  
"I think the sunrise reminded him of who he was before he became a rebel. Always bright and all that. And the sunset reminded him because things go to dark and turn to cold. You know what I mean?"  
"Yeah, I do. Come one, we got one more place to go." Soda got up and helped me up. We headed to the car. We got into the car drove off once again. The sun was set and streetlights were on. We stopped for ice cream then started to head back to the house.

Chapter 7: It was probably 11 o'clock when we got home. Me and Soda got out of the car and walked up to the door. Before we walked in, he stopped me.  
"Rose, since Dally didn't really have a family that given him a hoot about him and you were the closet relationship with him, will it be okay if we have a funeral for him? We are having one for Johnny and we wanted to have them on the same day."  
"That's great but where are we gonna get the money?"  
"We got that all taken care of. Dally and Johnny were cremated. You can take dally home with you tonight if you want to."  
"That would be nice. Thank you Soda. This means a lot to me." I said as I hugged Soda.

Chapter 8: Me and Soda went inside and I followed him to the bedroom. I stood in the doorway since Pony was already sleeping. He handed me a plastic box that weighed a lot. I felt my eyes get teary and I'm guessin Soda noticed because he embraced me into a hug.  
"Are you gonna be okay walking home?" Soda asked concerned.  
"Yeah. Dally will protect me." I said. I felt a small smile creep on my face.  
"Call me when you get home. I will not go to bed till you call me. Deal?"  
"Deal. Is Darry up?" I asked.  
"Yeah. He should be in the kitchen." I went to the kitchen and told Darry and Soda goodnight then I went home. On the way home, a mustang slowed down and the passenger side window rolled down.  
"Hey babe." A Soc said as he was slurring that sentence. I ignored the comment and kept walking. I got father than the car just by a couple of feet. The car speed up a bit and trying to catch up. I help tight to the box that contained Dally. I hope he was here with me to protect me. The door open and only one Soc came out. "Come on Rose. You can cry in my arms. You're single now, be with me." He said. I turned around to see a familiar face. It was Paul, one of Darry's old buddy from high school. I turned around and started to walk away but I started to walk faster when I heard the footsteps getting faster, like running. He ran on the road so he would be next to me if he caught up. I turned my head to see how far he is. He fell backwards, like someone pushed him from the front. All of a sudden, when I ran, I felt weightless. Like I was gliding on the road. I smiled to myself. Dally had to do something with it. I know he had to. I finally got home. Buck was asleep on the sofa. I quietly went up the stairs to my room. I called Soda to let him know I was home but Darry answered and said Soda was out cold. Good job Soda, I said to myself. I got into my room and put Dally on the nightstand where I lay next to when I go to bed. I went to that plastic bag I got earlier today from the fuzz. There was a pack of cancer sticks and a lighter inside of it. I grabbed the lighter and a stick and brought it to the box. I set the cancer stick on top and had the lighter standing up next to the box. I sat in the chair that was across the room and stared at that box. Half hour past by and I decided to go to bed. I crawled in and turned the light off. The only light was the stars shining thru my window. I faced the box one more time then kiss it. "Goodnight Dally. I love you."

Chapter 9: I woke up to the phone ringing.  
"Hello?" I said with my face in the pillow.  
"Come here Rose. Its time for breakfast." I was too tired to recognize the voice. I knew here was. That was all I needed to know. I looked at the clock and it was 7:52 am.  
"Is this a type of abuse? It's not even 8 o'clock." I replied as I was getting up. The voice started to laugh. It was Two-bit.  
"Just get over here. There's a Mickey Mouse marathon today and they're doing a double feature at the Dingo tonight."  
"Okay, give me a half hour. Maybe less."  
"Okay. See you then." I got up and gotten dressed. I was about to leave but I remember that black knife Two-bit adore. Dally had it when he died I'm guessing. I grabbed it and put it in my pocket with my wallet. 20 minutes past and I was already there. I smelt eggs and bacon cooking. I walked in and the gang said hello to me like if it was on command. Darry and Soda was in the kitchen while Pony was reading on the sofa. Two-bit sat in front of the TV with a beer. And Steve, well, who knows where Steve is. I sat next to Two-bit and pulled the knife out. He didn't notice till I poked him. He just stared at it and I nodded to let him know it was okay to take it. He looked like he was gonna cry. He clench it tight and held it to his chest. I put my hand on his back and rubbed it as I put my head on his shoulder. I got up and went to the kitchen to see Darry and Soda. Darry was setting up the table and Soda was cooking. I noticed green dye on his hand. Looks like we are having green eggs for breakfast. When Soda was done cooking, everyone went to the table. I eventually found Steve who was covered in grease. We all sat down at the table and started to eat. No one said a word. I was between Soda and Steve. I decided to be the first to speak. "Steve. This is a napkin. You use it to clean up your messes." I said jokingly as I handed him a napkin. He shook his head but said thank you as he took it. Once everyone finished the eggs and bacon, Darry brought out the chocolate cake. Everyone had two, maybe three slices as I had one. It was a Saturday, Steve had the shift and DX and Darry had work. They left shortly after breakfast. Two-bit went back to watching Mickey and Pony sat in the same spot, reading the same book. I helped Soda clean up and do some chores around the house. Their house was mess and it was the monthly cleaning. We started in the kitchen, he would wash the dishes and I'll dry it and put them away. Once that was done, I would disinfect the counter as he mopped the floor. Next we moved to the living room. All of the books weren't on the bookshelf. They were piled next to it. I took everything off the bookshelf and dusted it. I put the books on the shelf in height order, I would put it by color but there wasn't enough of the same color to organize. Pony went back into the room and started his school work he has missed. I went to the sofa to fix the knitted quilt that was on the back of it. Soda was dusting just about everything else. I started to vacuumed, especially around the sleeping drunk, Two-bit. Soda finished be before me, so he went to the bathroom to wash the toilet, sink, and shower area. Once the living room was cleaned, I did laundry. Folded everything, even the boy's underwear. It was only around ten till 12 when we finished everything. Soda and I has deiced to get something to eat since it was close to lunch. We yelled at to let Pony know where we are then we left.

Chapter 10) We pulled up to a funeral home. I just sat there frozen. Reality is happening right now and it's gonna hit me hard, no doubt in that. Soda got out of the car and came to my side. "Are you coming or not?" He asked as he opens the door. I shook my head. He given me a hand to help me out of the truck and we went inside. We met with a gentleman named Paul. We followed him into a room that contained a coffee table and three chairs. As we sat down, Paul handed us magazines to look at. Soda did most of the talking.  
"Would you like a church ceremony?" Paul asked. That question defiantly got my attention. Like if it was on cue, me and Soda said no.  
"Is there a way of getting two plots?" I asked.  
"For $500 without any ceremony."  
"$500 total or each…." my voice faded.  
"Total. That's a special. It's normally each but I read the article about Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston. We will also do the headstone for free. Would you like the plots be next to each other?" he said.  
"That would be nice. Okay. The headstones will take a week to do. Fill this out for what you want to say on it and w will take care of the rest. The funeral will be held in two weeks, the 29th. Is that fine with you two?" Me and Soda nodded. "Good. You have a month to pay unless you rather do payments of $50 every month for 10 months." He asked.  
Soda said the payment will be better. We got up, shook hands and he given us a card to contact him.

Chapter 11) As me and Soda got into the car, I asked him how are we gonna pay for this.  
"We're doing payments. Don't worry about it." He said as starting up the car.  
"You, Darry and Pony are barely making it. You guys are living from paycheck to paycheck. Please let me help. Let me do 25 out of the 50. Please Soda." I begged. There was a silence in the car for a couple of minutes. Soda's mouth open but no words came out so he closed it. It open once again and words did come out of his mouth. "Tomorrow, be at the DX at 8am. Okay?"  
"Yes, yes, yes. You can count on me Soda. Thank you so much." I hugged him. It was a bad idea because the car kind swerves into the other lane. Thank god there weren't any cars. We finally arrived at the house. It turns out Steve called due to the fact he needs Soda to help him out at the station. Soda got changed and left within 5 minutes. I sat on the sofa with two-bit.  
"How did it go?" He asked.  
"It was ok. Soda did most of the talking. We got a good price for the plots since the guy read about Dally and Johnny." I replied.  
"How much?"  
"Its $500 for both. The gravestones are for free. We're doing payments."  
"Is Johnny's parent's gonna pay for his plot?". That question got me. I didn't think about them.  
"I don't think they know about the funeral." I replied.  
"C'mon, let's go talk to them."  
"I don't think that's a good idea." I replied. At this point, Two-bit grabbed me and put me over his shoulder. He told Pony we're heading out but didn't say where. Talking about Johnny to him or around him is a sensitive subject. I know how he feels.

Chapter 12) We arrived at the house. I can hear his parents yelling at each other.  
"I want a divorce" one shouted. "Go to hell" another shouted. Just standing out here hearing them yell is like hell. I'm surprised no one called the cops on them. Me and two-bit came to the door. Right before he rang the bell, I heard something breaking. We rang the doorbell and the fighting stopped. I saw someone's head peeped out of the window and back in. "What do they want?" I heard a man's voice said. Johnny's father opens the door and looked up and down at us.  
"Mr. Cade, can we talk to you and your wife?" I asked.  
"Johnny is dead. There's nothing to talk about." He replied harshly.  
"That's what we want to talk to you guys about." Two-bit said.  
"Let them in!" Mrs. Cade shouted from the living room. Mr. Cade let us in and offer us to sit down. He was silent most of the time. "We're having a funeral for Johnny and Dally in two weeks. It's $250 for Johnny's plot. His gravestone is free. Is there a way for you guys paying that 250 since Johnny was your son?" I asked.  
"Why should we? He died because of you guys." His father said.  
"He died to save little kids. It was his choice. It was him, Ponyboy and Dally who was there out of the gang." I snapped back.  
"Please excuse him." Mrs. Cade said. I nodded. She continued talking as she got up to hand us the $250. "Dally was nothing but trouble. If Johnny stayed away from Dally, he wouldn't be dead." I guess Two-bit knew what was going thru my mind because he grabbed both of my shoulders. "Johnny was the reason why Dally never got in trouble as much as he did before he met Johnny. When Johnny died, Dally basically committed suicide." I said as I stood up. I felt Two-bit's grip got tighter.  
"Good. I'm glad he's dead." Mrs. Cade added on. Her husband agreed with her. "No wonder why Johnny always left this house. You guys treated him like shit!" I shouted.  
"Come on Rose; let's get out of here before things turn ugly." Two-bit whispered in my ear.  
"Yeah, listen to Keith before things do turn ugly." She said trying to mimic two-bit.  
"I don't things can get uglier than your face." I splatted at her.  
"Rose!" Two-bit shouted. I ignored him and manage to get out of his grip. I went up to her, face to face.  
"What are you gonna do?" She said. At that moment, I punched her in the jaw and she was on the ground. "That's for Johnny!" I shouted. I turned around to leave but she manages to get up from the floor and pull my hair. Two-bit ran to grab me as her husband did the same to her. She punched me in the stomach as I punched her in the nose. She slap me and I kicked her. I pulled on her hair till I heard screaming. "Go to hell!" She shouted. "I'll meet you there!" I screamed back. She ran towards me and smacks me. I give her a good punch in the stomach where she fell onto the floor. Two-bit put me over his shoulders once again. As we were leaving, I saw blood on the floor. I didn't know whose blood it was but I felt proud. She deserved it. Two-bit carried me all the way to the house. Once we were by it, Darry's truck was parked outside. The boys must be home. Two-bit is still carrying me like that, even when we got into the living room. Darry was in the kitchen and Soda, Steve and Pony was in the living room. No one really noticed the blood; they thought it was casual for two-bit holding people like this. "I need peroxide, water, washcloths and cotton balls. Maybe a change of clothes" Two-bit shouted as he sat me down in a chair. With what he said, it gotten everyone's attention. No one bother to look at me, they ran to get the stuff. Pony was the first to saw. His mouth dropped. "What happen to you?" He asked. "I'll tell you once the blood is cleaned up and the whole group is here". Pony nodded.

Chapter 13) No one let me clean myself up. Darry put peroxide on the cuts as Steve cleaned the bubbles off. Soda put water on the blood to remove it and then two-bit put Band-Aids on me. Of course they were Mickey Mouse. I went to the bathroom to put on the clothes Pony given me. I had a feeling it was Soda's because of the size of the t-shirt and boxers. I took my clothes off and put the t-shirt and boxers on. I'm glad I was able to get dressed by myself. When I walked out, I see the boys gathering around in a circle, talking about what happen. "She kicked Johnny's mom's ass!" Two-bit said. They boys seemed pretty proud. "Pony," Two-bit said, "Remember how Dally said "Let's do it for Johnny"?" he asked. Pony nodded. "Well, Rose did it for Johnny.". Pony had a smile on his face. "We also got $250 from her. To pay for Johnny's plot. Now we only need $250 for the rest. I already told Soda that I will pay 25 out of the 50 every month for Dally." I added to two-bits statement. The boys turned around. "You are one tuff girl." Steve said. ''Thank you." I replied. 4 o'clock came around and Darry was getting ready to cook dinner. He sent Soda and Steve out to get eggs and their cake supplies. By the time the boys got back, dinner was already done cooking. It was chicken parm. We all sat down at the table. Pony was next to Soda. On the other side of the table, Steve and Two-bit was sitting there. I sat at the end of the table right across from Darry. The way the food was served was basically "grab what you want before everyone takes it." kind of thing. Eating with them was like eating with pigs. It was fun tho. The boys made me laugh so hard that I ended up falling off my chair laughing. "You should come over a lot more, Rose." Darry started to say "The house is spotless. I know its been a day or two since you and Soda cleaned it, but it would be great if you clean it more often since me and Soda are always working and Pony is in his own little word.". I smiled, it was nice that someone noticed the house. Pony finished his dinner first and went to his room to work on homework after he cleaned his dish. When Pony stepped out of the room, Steve said "We should have a rumble."…..

Chapter 14) We all given Steve a looked. He enjoyed fighting a little too much.  
"we need to get back at those damn socs. They're the reason why Johnny and Dal' is dead." his voice filled with anger but he tried to keep it at a whisper.  
"Steve, Johnny died for those kids. If they didn't go to that church, those kids would be dead." I started.  
"But Johnny and Dal' would've been alive. We all miss both of them. I know you do, very much. Lets get back at them." Steve replied.  
"I'm tired of the fighting. Do you really need to fight to figure out anything? Randy said that Socs will be socs and greasers will be greasers, we're always be at the bottom. You gotta accept that." my voice was stern.  
"Then get your ass out of this town! There will always be fights everywhere you go!" Steve shouted.

"Fine!" I shouted as I got up to head out of the door. On the way to the door, I grabbed my clothes. "Soda, I'll give your clothes back the next time I see you." I turned back to tell Soda then I stormed out of the house. When I got to their gate, I herd two-bit, Darry and Soda yelling at Steve for what he told me. I was only 10 feet away from their house when I herd running footsteps behind me. Next thing I know, someone picked me up from the behind and held on to me tightly. More I moved, tighter their grip was.

Chapter 15) "Shh, shhh, shhh. Girl, you wiggle more than a warm does." Two-bit said with a laugh following his comment.  
"Put me down two! I'm leaving." I shouted.  
"No you're not. We need you here and I know you. You would never leave us unless its for a trip." He said. He finally put me down and faced me to the front porch. Steve was standing there, looking down at his feet. Darry was behind him, gripping Steve's arm. "Say it Steve." Darry demanded. "I'm sorry, toots." Steve said softly. "And?" Darry said as he gets his grip tighter on Steve. "I didn't mean it. I was caught up in the anger." Steve mumbled. I nodded and Darry let Steve loose. We all head back into the house. Steve and Darry was cleaning up the dinner mess as me, Two-bit, Soda and Pony was out in the living room. "What a night." Pony said. All of us agreed.  
"Hey Rose, how good are you at math?' Pony asked. I had to think about it for a moment. I always get honor roll since grade school but math was the weakest subject for me. I always get a high C, 78, 79.  
"I'm okay in it. Why do you ask?" I replied.  
"I need to get a 100 in it. I keep bring home 90's and Darry is bustin my ass about it. I asked Soda many times for help but he always say that he's stupid and Two-bit, well, Two-bit says every answer is beer." Pony said. I smacked Soda on the back of his head. He knew how much I hated it when he calls himself stupid. "I'll help you Pony.". We got up and headed to his desk that was in his room. I examined his paper that had math problems on it. Since Pony was a freshman, he was in Algebra 1. I'm in Geometry. Since I'm a junior, was suppose to take Algebra 2 but I done that for sophomore year instead. Pony was learning FOIL. I don't blame him about him struggling with it. It was pretty hard to learn. I grabbed his paper and wrote (Ax+Bx)(Cx+Dx) with FOIL on top of it. Under the letter, I wrote what it he is suppose to do. "F is first number. O is outer number. I is inner number and L is last." I drew a arch that was attaching A to C, and A to D on top. I did the same to B that was attached to C and D on the bottom.  
"That makes a lot of sense now." Pony said.  
"Try it." I told him. As he was working on the problem, Soda came in and jumped in bed.  
"I wish Darry wasn't so hard on me about the grades. I always bring him A's but rarely B's." Pony told me, "I wish he wasn't so hard on me in general." he added to his statement. I rubbed Pony's back and made him face me. "You better be listening too, Soda." I shouted. I continued what I have to say once I got both of their attention. "The reason why he is so hard on you because he grew up too fast. When your parents died, he had to take reasonability for you and Soda. Being 17 and taking care of younger brothers isn't easy. Its like taking care of your kid as a teenager. I'll tell him be more easy on you, okay?" That statement was mostly for Pony but Soda understood too.

Chapter 16) I decided to head home since it was after 9 and tomorrow is my first day at the DX. I would normally leave sometime after midnight but today was long and exhausting. I said my farewells to the gang and headed home. The walk there went by fast. Buck is having a party since I hear the music down the street. I entered the house and struggle to make it thru the sea of people. Finally made it to my room. There was crowds of people on both floor. I'm glad Buck cut down on the parties. It use to be just about every night but now its once a week, sometime twice but it was still annoying hearing the loud music and drunk people. I got into my pj's and laid in bed. I pull out a book from my nightstand. It was Grimm's Fairy Tales, one of my favorite books. I when I open to the page I left it on from the last time I read it, I herd my wall banging and moaning from the room next to mine. Dally's room. Anger took over me and I got up and marched to his room. On my way there, I pushed and shoved people out of my way. I stood in front of the door to make sure its coming from his room and it was. I swung the door open to find a trail of clothes from the door to the bed, leading up to a drunken couple on his bed. "Don't you have respect for dead people!" I shouted. They looked at me as if they were confused. So I shouted again. "This is my boyfriend's room, who just died! Get the hell out!"  
"What if we don't?" the girl said. I grabbed all of their clothes and threw it down stairs. When I got back into the room and stared at them. "Go fetch." I said sternly. They refused to, so I grabbed the girl by her hair and dragged her out of the room. I went back in there and given the guy the death stare. "You're next." I said. Within seconds, he got up and ran out of the room, grabbed his clothes and left, leaving without the girl. She followed him shortly after he left. I went in Dally's room and leaned against the wall that was facing across from his bed. I slid down the wall crying. "I should've stayed in town" I told myself. "You wouldn't be dead. Neither would've Johnny.". I put my head again the wall, hoping Dally is here some how, hearing me. "I love you.." I whispered. I curled up into a ball on the cold hard wood floor, just crying. I blamed his death on me. Tiredness over came me and instantly, I was asleep.

Chapter 17) "Rose." I herd softly. I couldn't tell if I'm dreaming someone calling my name or someone is really is. I felt a little shake. "Rose…its time to wake up." the voice was louder.  
"Is she alive?" I herd another voice.  
"Don't you see her breathing?" the other replied. The shake became a bit more rougher.  
"Can I smack her?"  
"That's domestic abuse, two-bit."  
"Oh..". I felt one more shook then I woke up. I was puzzled why Soda and two-bit was here.  
"Rose, get up. Its your first day of work. Come on, get dressed." Soda said as he's getting up but he left his hand out there for me. I took his offer and got up. He handed me a DX shirt that looked like his but without the mess. I went into my room and got dressed. If Soda was a girl, he would've looked like me. Blue jeans, white t and the DX shirt that isn't button. I walked down stairs to find Soda and Two-bit waiting for me. Two-bit handed me cup of fresh coffee then we headed out the door. The DX was straight ahead from us. We could see it in the distance but it was a 10 minute walk.  
"Watchaya doin' in Dally's room?" Two-bit asked while lighting a cancer stick.  
"Buck was throwing a party last night. When I got to my room, I herd the wall banging and moaning. So I went to Dally's room to find them, grabbed their clothes and kicked them out. Next thing I know, I was sitting there crying. I must've cried myself to sleep." I said.  
"Geez, toots! You're 17 and you're crying yourself to sleep?" Two-bit replied with the sound of shock in his voice. All I could do is nod. Two-bit was right. Yeah, everyone cries but how often do you hear about someone who cries them self to sleep? Not as often, at least not around here.

Chapter 18) We finally made it to the DX. "Steve, Imma show Rose what she's gonna be doing. It will be five minutes." Soda said to the invisible Steve. "Sure." I herd a voice. I looked around and found Steve under a car that he was fixing. Two-bit kick the skateboard Steve was using and Steve was rolling till he hit the dumpster. "Screw you Two-bit!" Steve yelled as getting. "Why do you think it was me? It was toots!" Two-bit said while pointing at me.  
"Hey! I don't want to be involved with this." I said raising my hands up in the air.  
"C'mon Rose! Let me show you what you'll be doing!" Soda yelled from the inside of the store. I walked in to find him behind the counter. I went to stand by him and listen to him giving me instructions.  
"Soda bottles are .50 cents and cans are .25 cent. Its one dollar more for beers if they're single. Everything else has a bar code on it. Just scan. Once you're done with the scan, hit enter, the "mini bank" will open. If they're paying for gas, I write down the price and send them in for you to pay. There is a blade and a heater under here. The black heater is a water gun, don't tell anyone who doesn't work here that. There's a phone in the back and lunch is at 12. Understand?" Soda said. I nodded my head with my mouth open a little. I don't think he took a breathe when he told all of that. I understand but holy shit, that boy talks 60 mph! Soda went outside and two-bit came in. He grabbed a magazine and a Cola. He planted his butt on the counter. "I know for sure you're paying for that bottle. That will be 2 quarters." I said while I reached my hand out. He dropped .50 cents in my hands and I put it the quarter space.  
"Do you think you look like Unne Terjesen when you're naked?" Two-bit asked.  
"Who's that and probably not?"  
"She's Miss July 1962. She's a bunny." Two-bit said handing me the magazine. There was a picture of a beautiful women who was naked. She was holding a see-thru scarf in front of her "trying" to cover her body.  
"Is this what you do when you come here?" I asked Two-bit. He nodded and focused on the magazine. It wasn't busy before lunch. At least 6 people came in and bought stuff. Me, Steve, Soda and Two-bit went outside and ate lunch.  
"How's your first day, toots?" Steve asked while food fell from his mouth.  
"It seems pretty good" Two-bit answered before I could.  
'I said toots. Not two-bit or drunk ass." Steve said while giving him a stare.  
"Two is right. It seems pretty good so far. Thanks for asking." I spoke up. "Is there anything I should know about?" I asked,  
"If you ever work the night shift, make sure one of us are there. The socs tend to get drunk out of their minds and head over here. They can be dangerous. In fact, if you have any shifts, make sure we're here. Me, Soda, or Two-bit. Understand?" Steve said. I nodded. I understood what Steve was trying to get at. We already lost two members in the gang and we don't need to loose anymore. Also, the socs are dangerous. Most of the time, they don't have weapons but they're jocks. They're pretty strong. I can honestly say that I was scared, just from hearing that. Now I could understand why there was weapons under the counter.

Chapter 19) Lunch was over and we headed back in. Since there was no cars that need to be fixed or filled, Soda and Steve went in too. There was only one more hour left till my shift is over. We were cracking jokes and laughing till we herd someone outside yellin "I need someone to fill my tank up!". Soda went outside to do his thing. A girl walked in. She was a bit pale looking, has red hair and very thin arced eyebrows. She was a soc, I could tell. She handed me the paper that said $10 and given me that amount.  
"Hey Two-bit. What are you doing here?" She started talking.  
"Not having a job. What about you Cherry?" he replied. I was quiet but I was secretly listening to what they were saying.  
"I'm okay. How's Ponyboy? He must be going thru a lot."  
"He has his good and bad days. Mostly bad." Two-bit said. She nodded. "I understand. I got to go. See you around." she said as she was heading to the door. Once she left, I turned to Two-bit and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Who was she?" I asked.  
"Me, Johnny, Dal' and Pony met her and her best friend at the double feature a while back. Dally left with anger, so it was just the 5 of us. It looked like her and Pony had a thing for each other." Two-bit chuckled.  
"What?"  
"You remember the super soc Johnny stabbed?"  
"I herd of him but not sure who he was. Why?"  
"That was Cherry's boyfriend. Hahaha, Johnny killed a soc. I knew it was in him. But any way, I'm not a big fan of her. She told Pony don't be mad or take personal if she doesn't talk to him at school."  
"That's messed up.". A few more people came in and left. Before I know it was end of the day. The 3 of us waited for the next shift to arrived. Once they did, we left.

Chapter 20) We were having a blast along the way to the house. We were walking on the side walk, I was between Steve and Soda while Two-bit in the front, facing us. "Oh, oh. I also told them 'Hey check out their pants! So, you guys waitin' for a floodin?'" Two-bit said as he was laughing. He slapped his knee and kicked a rock with his cowboy boots. He noticed a mustang driving slow behind us. "We got some trouble. Stay close, Toots." I nodded as he turned around. I saw Two-bit and Steve pull out their blades. Steve moved to my right side, it was closer to the road, and Soda moved to my left. Two-bit was behind me, just in case if someone gets me from the behind. "Listen, when we tell you to run, run to the house and grab Darry. He should be home by now. Do not stop running to you get there. Do you understand?" Steve said. By now, the mustang is in front of us. It stopped. Four socs got out of the car. They all lined up in a straight line in front of us.  
"Where do you think you're going with this girl?" one asked.  
"Get out of here! You're in our part of town!" Two-bit yelled from the back. One of the socs walked to where two-bit was and pushed him against the fence. Two of them basically did the same thing to Soda and Steve. Soda was pinned against the fence like two-bit and Steve was on the ground. "Run Rose!" Soda yelled. I ran. The one who didn't have anyone ran after me. The beaten down house was right in my sight. Darry was just getting out of his truck. I herd the soc's footsteps getting closer so I started to scream for Darry. Darry noticed and yelled for Pony. Before Darry manage to get 5 feet away from his truck, the soc tackled me to the floor.

Chapter 21) He stood back up with me over his shoulders. I am screaming and kicking, trying to get off. I had my eyes close. I shouldn't have done that. I was thrown in some where and I herd a door closed. I open my eyes up and I was confused where I was. It came to mind: I was in the trunk. I felt the walls to find the light. Once I did, I punched it out where I can see everything. "Give her back!" Darry shouted as he's pushing a soc. I started to scream again and banging the door. I wanted out. Soda saw me and ran but it was too late, the car was going too fast for him to run. I saw the boys run to the house.

Chapter 22) We've been driving for a while. I noticed the surroundings as changed. Everything became a lot nice and fancier. I saw a car driving close to the mustang. It was Two-bits' Cati. We pulled up in a garage. The garage door was mostly close. It was open by a foot from the ground. The trunk open and two socs grabbed me. They brought me over to a chair where another soc was standing behind with rope. He forcefully sat me down and I was tied up. The 4th soc put rag in my mouth and tied a tie over it. "Looks like we're gonna have fun tonight, boys." One of them said as he was waving his knife. He dragged it from one side of my jaw line to another. All of the boys were facing me with their back against the garage. I herd a noise but I wasn't sure what it was. Next thing I know, Two-bit, Steve, Darry and Soda had all of the socs in headlocks and started punching them. Pony open the garage door and untied me. Darry told us go to the car. Me and Pony ran to the car. He jumped in the back seat as I went into the driver's seat. I started the car up and wait for the boys. Everyone ran and jumped in as I sped down the road. "Aren't they gonna get us?" I asked. Two-bit started to laugh. "What's so funny, two?" I asked once again. "All of us slid under the door. Each one of us sliced a tier open. They won't be getting any where." he said. Once we got to the house, Darry noticed I was bleeding. He dragged me into the kitchen and fixed me up. "Thanks guys for everything. I don't know where I would be without y'all." I said. The boys came over to me and given me a group hug. While Darry was making dinner, all of us watching Mickey Mouse. I never really understood why Darry pays for the TV bill. It seems like the only thing on TV is Mickey Mouse. Dinner was pasta. Me and the boys went to dinning room and had dinner. I decided to leave when dessert came out. Its been a long day. I hugged and said good boy to each boy who had cake smudge on their faces. Two-bit, who had the biggest mess on his face, decided to be funny and kiss my cheek. He held my head to make sure I won't go away. He given me bunch of kisses all over my face. After two minutes of struggling, Two-bit finally stopped and let go of. Everyone saw and started to laugh. I went into the bathroom to clean the cake off my face. Two-bit really got the cake on my face good. I'm on my second washcloth. I had hot water run on it with soap. I started to scrub my face when Soda came in and closed the door. I looked at him thru the mirror. Soda came up behind me and hugged me real tight where I thought I was gonna loose my dinner. "What's wrong, Soda?" I asked. "If they went deeper in your skin, I would've lost you. I lost too many people in my life. I don't want to loose any more." He said in barely a whisper. He hugged me tighter and closed his eyes. I turned around to face him and hugged him. I saw a tear slipping from his eye, so I wiped it off. While he was hugging me. I pulled his hair back in a swipe so it exposed his forehead. I given it a gentle kiss. "I am here, Soda. I won't be going anywhere.". Soda let go and I started to wash my face again.

Chapter 23: The cake still wouldn't get off my face. In the corner of my eye, I saw Soda taking his shirt off. I was attracted to him but it felt so wrong. Dally hasn't been gone a month and I am already attracted to someone else. 'I'm so sorry Dally.' I said in my head. I continued to wash my face and Soda pulled his pants off. What is going on? By the time I saw my face thru the cake, Soda is completely naked. I just mined my own business and pretend I don't know what's going on. He has a cute butt though. I really hope no one comes in. I got just a spot of cake on my face by now. Soda went in the shower. Once I was done, I started to turn the door knob. "Rose, where are you going?" Soda said with his head poked out of the shower.  
"Uh...heading home since the cake is off my face." I said while rubbing my neck.  
"Don't. Stay here. I'll be out of the shower in five minutes. Stay in here, pleaseeeeeeeee." Soda begged.  
"Okay. Just this once tho." I said as I sat on the toilet seat. Within seconds, the room was field with steam. I started to close my eye but I felt something hit me. I jumped and then I realized it was Soda who is the one who hit me with his towel. He wrapped himself up and hugged me. I didn't hugged back because I was exhausted but Soda understood. "I wanna go to bed." I mumbled into his chest.  
"Stay for the night. Darry won't mind. He loves you!" Soda said with excitement in his voice. I nodded. He got dressed, hang the towel up and open the door. He waited for me to get out of the bathroom but I guess I was taking to slow. He picked me up and brought me out. "Hey Darry, can I put Rose in the spare room?" Soda asked. "Go ahead. You better be going to bed too. You got work." Darry replied.

Chapter 24: Soda set me down on the bed. He took my DX shirt off and handed me a pair of his boxers. I slowly put them on and I just flopped in bed. Soda put the sheets over me and said goodnight, then he left. I drifted off into a deep sleep. I had this really weird dream. It started off as a nightmare but it didn't end like one. It went like this:  
Bob came back and went to the Curtis' house. He was drunk and looking for a fight, not a surprise. The only people that was there was me, Pony and Johnny. We didn't have our strong guys with us. Bob started to go after Ponyboy. He picked up Pony with one hand around his neck and held him against the wall. He must've been two feet of the ground. Johnny ran and tried to push Bob. Instead, Bob threw Johnny at the coffee table and broke it half from his landing. I ran and jumped on him, trying to choke him. That pissed Bob off real bad. He let go on Pony and slammed me against the wall. I was between the wall and Bob. Johnny and Pony are too weak to do anything. Bob held me with one hand and turned around where he can see me. He took out a blade held it against my neck. I closed my eyes. Next thing I know, I fell. I open my eyes and saw Dally beat up Bob. "Don't..You…Ever…Touch… her..again!" Dally shouted between punches he was giving Bob. Next thing I know, everything is gone and white. I hid my face in my legs. I didn't know what's going on and I was afraid to find out. "Baby girl. Its okay. Everything is okay now. No one is goin' to hurt you anymore." I looked up to find Dally. He was wearing his signature look: Leather Jacket, White Shirt, Blue jeans and his Biker Boots. He held out his hand and I got up with his help. Is this real? "Listen Rose, I love you and I absolutely miss. Man, I thought I was goin' to hell. I've been watching you since I came here. I'm so sorry that I put you thru this. I'm really am." Dally said. "Dally?" I said.  
"Hmm?"  
"Why did you have to go? I needed you. I need you." I felt tears in my eyes. Right then, he grabbed my face and had his head against mine. "I know you need me. Johnny needed me too. I guess I lost it when I watched Johnny died. Right before you left, I handed Soda a piece of paper. Ask him about it. He'll know what you're talking about. Can you do me a favor?" Dally asked. I nodded. "Don't cry for me. I realized there is so much to live for. I missed that chance to change. I don't want you to be hung up on me for rest of your life. Go out and find a good guy to take care of you. I'll send him to you. And you'll know I approve on him when the times come. But if you do ever cry or in danger, I'll be there to hold your hand and lead you thru the darkness. I'll be here with you." He pointed to my heart. He given me a passionate kiss. It felt so real. He held my head and looked me in the eyes. "I love you, forever and I always. You given me the time of my life. I'll be here when its your time to come." He whispered. He turned around and started to walk away. "Dally! I need to ask you something before you leave." I shouted. He turned around and walked towards me. "I think I might be falling for Soda. I don't want to if you tell me n-" Dally cut me off. "Good." He smiled at me. "Good?" I asked. "I wanted Soda to take care and protect you if I ever left you. Its okay to fall for him. I won't be mad. I want you to fall for him. I questioned two-bit but I felt like that would be a disaster." He said with a chuckle. "When will I see you again?" I felt tears coming up. "Soon, baby girl. I'll always be with you, even if you don't see me. I got to go now. Imma play a prank on Shepard. I love you." Dally said. He kissed me and I watched the Love of My Life walk away till who knows when he's coming back.

Chapter 25: I woke up crying. I saw shadows on the wall that made out 3 figures. I got real nervous till I herd a familiar voice. "Rose…" Two-bit said softly. I heard bunch of footsteps walking to the side of the room I was at. "Are you okay?" he continued.  
_"And when it rains,  
Will you always find an escape?  
Just running away,  
From all of the ones who love you,  
From everything.  
You made yourself a bed  
At the bottom of the blackest hole  
And you'll sleep 'til May.  
And you'll say that you don't want to see the sun anymore" _I sang softly. "You're an odd one." Two-bit whispered as he sat down next to me. Soda sat on the other side of me while Darry sat in the chair that was across from the bed. "Did I wake you guys up?" I asked. "Don't worry about that, Rose. We herd screaming and we wanted to make sure you're okay." Darry said. He stood up and pat my back. "Get some sleep, Rose." He said while looking down at me. Darry and Two-bit left my room. Right before Soda was out the door, I called for him. He given me -yes?- kind of look. I laid back in bed and patted down on the side of the bed, hoping Soda would take the offer. He did. He went under the sheets and moved closer to me.  
"Now that I'm laying here, will you tell me about your dream and the lyrics?' He asked.  
"I-I-I don't know how to describe it. It was me, Pony and Johnny. Bob came inside of the house, throwing Johnny, choking Pony and tried to cut my neck open. Dally ran in and saved me. After the nightmare, I was with Dally. He was talking to me about how much he loves me, he'll send me the right guy and all of that. He also told me about a letter he given you." I replied. I looked up at Soda, he given me a blank look. "I knew you wouldn't understand. You probably think I'm crazy now." I said and turned my body away from Soda. "No,no,no. I know what you're talking about. Once you said the letter, I believed ya. What else did he say?" Soda said as he moved closer to me. "He was gonna play a prank on Tim" I smiled to myself. "Of course he will. I'll show you the letter tomorrow. Till then, we need sleep. Especially you. Okay?"  
"Yes". Right there, me and Soda fell asleep together.  
Chapter 26: I woke up to find no one in the room. I slowly got out of bed. All of a sudden, a shirt was thrown on to me. "I know its not clean as yours but I don't want you to wear the same one twice in a row." Soda said. He handed me a pair of jeans. I given him a look. "Ain't no way I'm gonna fit into that." I told him. "Its Pony's. You should fit.". I went to the bathroom to get changed. I looked at myself in the mirror. Ponyboy wears the most awkwardness pants ever. I walked out to see Pony, Darry and Soda in the living room. "Hey Pony! Does these jeans make my butt look big?" I asked him. Soda and Darry burst out laughing. Pony took a minute to think before he said anything. "Hey! Those are mine!" he shouted. I just burst out laughing and pointed at Soda. Soda went into the kitchen to grab some cake and then we headed out. "Whose the cake for?" I asked. "Steve.". I nodded. "Oh, and before I forget. Here's the letter." Soda handed me a folder piece of paper. I started to read it.  
"Soda,  
I figure to write this just in case if anything happens. With the way I am now, who knows where I would end up; Dead, Drunk, In the Cooler, or on the Run. The reason why I'm writing this is to let you know what to do if I'm ever gone. I want you to take care of Rose. Even if I'm only gone for a week or more. Take care of her. If I don't ever come back, make sure she is safe and always know where she is. Its okay for you to develop feelings for her. I rather have you be with her instead of anyone else. Please take good care of her.  
Your pal,  
Dal'"  
Dally had a heart. Dallas Winston had a heart. I'm holding the proof. I knew he loved me but I didn't know how much till now. I felt like crying but I remember what Dally told me last night. "Don't cry for me." Those words were repeated in my head, like a broken record. Soda put his arm around me and flashed me a smile. I smiled back. "So, what were the lyrics you sang last night?" he asked. "When it Rains. The song reminded me of Dally for some odd reason. Well, that part I sang last night." I replied. Soda nodded. I handed the paper back but he wanted me to keep it. I thank him and hugged him. We finally made it to the gas station. I went inside while Soda stayed outside and given Steve the cake that he devoured it in seconds.

Chapter 27: For the past week, things were slow. The gas station was slow during the first half the day wasn't so busy. Then right before the shift was over, it would be busy. The funeral was tomorrow. The boys and I took the day off for tomorrow and the day after. The was silence.  
"So. Tomorrow is it." I spoke up. The boys said yeah in unison. He finally made it to the house. We walked in and saw nothing happening. Two-bit, and Pony was on the sofa, Darry was in his chair. No one was reading, watching Mickey Mouse-nothing happening. I sat down next to Two, while Steve and Soda sat on the floor. No one said anything till 5 minutes past. Ponyboy broke down crying. He got up and faced us. "I can't take this anymore!" he shouted then ran to his room, closing the door behind him. I got up and walked to the bedroom door. I tried turning the knob but it was locked. "Pony, do you wanna talk?" I asked while leaning on the door. I herd nothing but sobs. Darry got up and started to head over but I told him not to. He listened. The door finally unlocked and I open it. I found Pony against the wall, crying. I closed the door and sat down next to him. "I..lost…my…best…friend." He said between sobs, "how, am I suppose to be okay?" he asked. I made him move closer and I rubbed his back. "It takes time to be okay. It doesn't happen over night. Okay Pony?". He nodded. He asked me a question that really gotten to me. "How are you okay? You're Dally's girl.".  
"Honestly, I am not okay. Most days, I want to break down. Sometimes, I wish I never left that week. Maybe that would've changed something, you know? I'm slowly getting better but I can honestly say that a snail moving faster than me." I replied.  
"I'm gonna go to bed. I'm tired from the crying." Pony said. When I got up, I helped him up. I given him a hug and told him everything will be okay. I left the room and told the boys I'm heading home. I hugged each one then left. When I got to my room, I pulled out a black dress, my leather jacket the boys given me and a pair of shoes. I grabbed a small pill bottle and put some of Dally's ashes in it. I'm planning on getting a tattoo of his name with the ashes. Then I went to bed.

Chapter 28: It was 7:45 am when I woke up. I herd the rain tapping on my window. I got dressed. I went to the bathroom and put my make up on. I grabbed everything, Dally, cigarettes, and my jacket then went down stairs around 8:15. Buck was ready and standing by the door. We got into his car and drove the cemetery. Everyone was there but Dally's and Johnny's parents. It was no surprise. By now, the rain stopped but the sky was dark and the air was cold. Tim's gang was there, so was our. A few somewhat familiar faces were there too. I gotta say, at least 30 people arrived. A lot more than expected. I placed Dally in the ground where he belonged. When I knelt down, I just lost it. I started to cry so much. I couldn't get up and I didn't want to. Two-bit went to be and help me up. He brought me to the crowd. I was still crying but I didn't care. Two-bit held me close as I cried into his chest. "I hate this, I hate it." I said I repeatedly. "I know." Two-bit said. The sound his heart beat made me relaxed where I could control my crying. I removed my face from Two's chest but he still had his arms around me. I wiped my face and Soda joined, I had two pairs of arms holding me. I didn't hear what the preacher had to say, I just stared at the grave. Everyone set down a type of flower and left. "Hey Rose, want a lift?" Darry asked me. I shook my head no. "I'm gonna be here for a while." I said without looking at anyone. I still had my eyes on the grave that said Dallas Winston. After a month and a half, reality finally hit me. He's not coming back. Ever. Life just ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it right in front of me. "Rose, I'm gonna give you a ride home. I'll be in the car." Darry said once more while patting my back. "Keep your head up, girl. Life throws bad things at good people. You're a good person." I thought to myself. I grabbed a cancer stick and lit it. I set the reaming pack in the ground that wasn't filled yet. I put it in the same box as Dally was in. "I don't think you had any with you when you left." I whispered. I kissed my hand and placed it on the box. "I will always love you.". I got up and started to head to Darry's truck. The drive home was quiet too. I leaned my head on Soda's shoulder and started to fall asleep but the time I closed my eyes, I was home. I got out of the truck and told the boys thank you and goodbye. I watched them as they left. Buck wasn't home yet. He had to do some things before he get home. I went to the bar that was down stairs and grabbed a couple of bottles that contained beer. I set them next to my bed and laid there. I fell asleep at 1pm.

Chapter 29: I woke up at 6 in the morning. I got out of the clothes from yesterday and just put on pants and a sweatshirt. I grabbed a bottle and started to drink it. One bottle didn't numb the heartache of mine. I got another one. When I was half way done with it, the phone rang.  
"Hello?" I answered.  
"Hey toots, come on over for breakfast." Steve said.  
"I don't wanna." I said like a child while slurring my words.  
"Are you drunk?" Steve asked.  
"Why would you care? Let me finish this bottle. I'll be over soon.". I herd Steve telling whoever that I am drunk and gonna walk over there by myself.  
"Don't move and stop drinking." He said then hanged up. I didn't listen to him. I put on my leather jacket, grabbed my wallet and the bottle and headed out. Before I got close to the DX, I finished the beer and threw it. There was a tree that was about two feet away from me, so I sat down against it. I started to cry. I buried my face and just sobbed. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I found Soda and Two-bit knelt next to me. "What's wrong?" Two-bit asked. "I,I,I, I just can't numb the pain." I managed to get out of my mouth. "Come on, lets get you home." Soda said with a hopeful smile. Two-bit picked me up in a bridal style and I fell asleep in his arms.  
Chapter 30: I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. I slowly got up but my head felt like someone was banging on it. I moaned in pain. "Shh, lay back down." I turned and saw Soda sitting next to me. I did what he said.  
"What time is it?" I asked.  
"7 in the evening. Now I have a question for you. Why are you getting drunk at 6 something in the morning?" Soda asked. I curled up in bed and pulled the covers over my body but my head. I had to answer Soda. I can't hide anything from him. "I wanted to stop the pain. At least numb it." I said softly.  
"What pain?" he asked.  
"The heart ache. I was fine before the day of funeral. It was a reality check, I guess."  
"I'm gonna tell you what Darry told Pony a few nights ago, and its gonna be the exact words. You just don't stop living because you lose somebody. Ok?" I nodded. Soda got up and left the room. I slowly got up, grabbed my jacket and sat on the porch. Pony came out and sat next to me. "Got any cancers sticks on ya?" I asked. "Here, just take the whole thing. If I wanna do track next year, I gotta stop smoking."' He replied. I thanked him and he walked in. I grabbed one and light and put the rest of the pack in the jacket's pocket that was on my chest. I never used that pocket till now. When I stuck my hand in it, I felt a thing of paper. It must've been a receipt I thought. I pulled it out and opened it. It was a letter from Dally.

Chapter 31: "Hey Toots. Happy 17th birthday. I remember when you were only 10. The reason why I'm giving you this note thru your jacket so I wouldn't be so nervous to give it to you, I guess. I'm writing this note to tell you how I feel about ya. I really do like you. I know we never really gotten a long but we're like ying yang or whatever its called. All I know is, its Chinese and that I like you. I really do hope you'll get this letter soon. You're not like any other broads. I want you and only you. Happy birthday Toots  
-Dallas Winston

Chapter 32: I didn't cry, I smiled. I couldn't cry anymore. I have to stay strong. Starting today I will. "So, what's you're smiling about?" Soda asked while sitting down next to me.  
"I found a letter from Dally that was written on my birthday. I'm done crying, Soda. I'm really am. What you said to me about stop living, it made me realize you're right." I replied. I looked up at him and his eyes was glowing. He brushed his hand across my check and leaned in. We shared a sweet kiss. Soda pulled away and realized what he has done. "I'm, I'm, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." He said. I smiled and shook my head. "What?" he asked puzzled. "Its okay, Sodapop." I leaned in and kiss him. He kissed back. When we pulled away, we put our foreheads together. "I think I like you." I said smiling. " I think I like you, too.". We both laughed.  
"Hey Soda?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Remember how I told you that Dally came back in my dream?"  
"Yeah, why?"  
"He said he wanted me to fall you. It was originally Two-bit but we all know how that would end."  
"Hey Rose?"  
"Yes?". Soda came closer to me.  
"I understand if its too soon, but I really want you to be my girl. What do you say?" he asked. I looked up at him and saw his hoping smile. I said yes. He grabbed me by my waist and kissed me. "I will never hurt you. I promise." He whispered in my ear.

Chapter 33: We walked and I saw Darry standing. I walked up to him and hugged him. "Thank you for telling Pony what you said. If you didn't say that, Soda would've never told me that.". Darry hugged back and we let go. The house was filled with laughter once again. Two-bit came into the house shouting. "Guys, I gotta talk to you bout something'" He said standing in front the TV. The noise stopped and we were focused on Two-bit. "I got a job!" He shouted waving around a piece of paper. All of us burst out laughing but Two-bit. "What? I'm serious. I got a job." Two-bit said once more. Steve was laughing so hard that he fell on the floor from the sofa. You know its really funny when that happens to Steve. I walked up to Two-bit and looked at his paper. 'Guys!" I yelled. I got their attention. "Two-bit is being serious. It says so on this paper.". Everyone was dumbfounded. We all decided to go to the Dingo's to celebrate. This is the start of a new beginning.


End file.
